Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2015 Apr;44(3):705-15.
doi: 10.1007/s10508-014-0258-6. Epub 2014 Jan 22.

Patterns of adolescent sexual behavior predicting young adult sexually transmitted infections: a latent class analysis approach

Sara A Vasilenko  1 , Kari C Kugler, Nicole M Butera, Stephanie T Lanza
Affiliations

Patterns of adolescent sexual behavior predicting young adult sexually transmitted infections: a latent class analysis approach

Sara A Vasilenko et al. Arch Sex Behav. 2015 Apr.

Abstract

Adolescent sexual behavior is multidimensional, yet most studies of the topic use variable-oriented methods that reduce behaviors to a single dimension. In this study, we used a person-oriented approach to model adolescent sexual behavior comprehensively, using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health. We identified five latent classes of adolescent sexual behavior: Abstinent (39%), Oral Sex (10%), Low-Risk (25%), Multi-Partner Normative (12%), and Multi-Partner Early (13%). Membership in riskier classes of sexual behavior was predicted by substance use and depressive symptoms. Class membership was also associated with young adult STI outcomes although these associations differed by gender. Male adolescents' STI rates increased with membership in classes with more risky behaviors whereas females' rates were consistent among all sexually active classes. These findings demonstrate the advantages of examining adolescent sexuality in a way that emphasizes its complexity.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Estimated probability of reporting an STI in the past year at Wave 4 (age 28 to 30), conditional on class membership at Wave 2 (age 16-18). Dotted lines represent the overall rate of STIs for male and female young adults. Both gender and class membership were significant predictors of STI (p < .001).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Alfonsi GA, Shlay J. The effectiveness of condoms for the prevention of sexually transmitted diseases. Current Women's Health Reviews. 2005;1:151–159.
    1. Beadnell B, Morrison DM, Wilsdon A, Wells EA, Murowchick E, Hoppe MJ, Nahom D. Condom use, frequency of sex, and number of partners: Multidimensional characterization of adolescent sexual risk-taking. Journal of Sex Research. 2005;42:192–202. doi: 10.1080/00224490509552274. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Beckman LJ, Harvey M. Attitudes about condoms and condom use among college students. Journal of American College Health. 1996;44:243–255. doi: 10.1080/07448481.1996.9936851. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Brooks-Gunn J, Paikoff RL. “Sex is a gamble, kissing is a game”: Adolescent sexuality and health promotion. In: Millstein SG, Peterson AC, Nightingale EO, editors. Promoting the health of adolescents: New directions for the twenty-first century. New York: Oxford University Press; 1993. pp. 180–208.
    1. Brown NR, Sinclair RC. Estimating number of lifetime sexual partners: Men and women do it differently. Journal of Sex Research. 1999;36:292–297.

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources